Chapter 548: Chapter 545: Filefish—Three Ways to Savor One Fish (Part 2)

Once in the kitchen, I started getting busy, first slicing around the fish with a knife, then gripping the skin firmly and tearing it off.

"Hiss..."

It was like peeling off a very tightly glued tape, even the sound was very similar.

"Wow..."

That feeling made Wang Fan a bit hard to describe; it was as if he suddenly felt refreshed all over, proving that indeed none of the nicknames in this world were misplaced.

Once the whole fish skin was completely peeled off, he pinched the texture of the fish skin and thought it would be more than enough to make a wallet.

The captain watched as Wang Fan entered the kitchen, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "These rich kids are something else, not treating money as money. 200,000 to charter a boat, and right during peak fishing time, he actually went to the kitchen to cook?"

In all his years of running a fishing boat, he’d never seen such carefree people.

Even if these rich kids don’t care about the charter cost, when the fishing’s good, they don’t usually do other things. After all, there’s no fixed rule in fishing; if you miss the peak time, you might end up going back empty-handed these few days.

While others talk about catching dozens to hundreds of pounds of fish, you come back empty-handed, isn’t that embarrassing?

Captain Wu was pretty familiar with Shen Teng, so he directly went over to him and asked, "Boss Shen, what’s up with your friend? He even leaves during peak fishing times?"

While hooking a fish, Shen Teng nonchalantly replied, "Want to know? Give me a 30% discount on the charter, and I’ll tell you."

"Fish on!"

Captain Wu called out and immediately stopped talking about Wang Fan’s matter. Although curious, he couldn’t ignore money matters!

At this point, Wang Fan had already processed the fish meat.

The meat of the skinned fish was crystal clear, with a slight pink hue. It felt like jelly, and when you pressed it lightly, it had a "duangduangduang" texture.

Wang Fan planned to prepare the fish in four different ways: stewing the fish bones, belly, and liver, making sashimi with the tenderloin, and pan-frying the back meat. A 5-pound sea fish could totally support these three preparations.

Wang Fan’s backpack contained nothing but various seasonings he had prepared, and he even brought some broth in a thermos on board.

The ship had ready cookware. Once the pot was hot, he poured in the lard he brought from one of his bottles. Lard really was a marvelous thing; he practically used it to heat the pan for everything.

When the pure white lard melted in the pot, a strong meaty aroma began to fill the cabin. He didn’t add any excess seasonings; after sautéing a few cloves of garlic and ginger slices for fragrance, he immediately put the fish meat into the pot.

"Sizzle..."

The sound of oil sizzling was always so pleasant, and as soon as the fish meat landed in the pot, a fresh savory fish aroma merged with the earlier meaty fragrance.

The fish meat quickly turned golden brown in the pot. After flipping it with a spatula, Wang Fan poured in the newly bought Fujian Old Wine and a spoonful of broth.

The street cred of Fujian Old Wine in Fujian needs no further elaboration. It can be said that wherever Fujianese are, Fujian Old Wine is indispensable. It’s one of Huaxia’s renowned yellow wines. Although using it to stew dishes might be a bit extravagant, the taste is absolutely top-notch.

However, Wang Fan didn’t let the full power of the Fujian Old Wine and broth unleash, instead, he quickly covered the pot with a lid.

The tenderloin had been placed on ice blocks by Wang Fan. There was no rush to slice it now; chilling it slightly would make the fish meat firmer, enhancing its texture to a new level.

He took out the frying pan, added another spoonful of lard, and the fish back meat, seasoned with a bit of sea salt, was placed in the pan. As soon as the fish touched the pan, it contracted, turning the flat fish into the shape of a small bridge. Wang Fan used the spatula to press it back down flat.

Noticing the change in aroma, Wang Fan quickly flipped the fish meat in the frying pan. Seeing the other side stunned Wang Fan.

The tender white fish fillets had a layer on the outside as if a layer of red dawn had been spread upon it, contrasting beautifully with the smooth, juicy fish beneath, elevating its appeal to an extravagant level.

Though in Min Nan, the highest respect for ingredients is not to add any salt, Wang Fan still felt that a little salt could enhance the quality of the ingredients. For these two pieces of fried fish, he really only added a slight bit of salt without any other seasonings.

While the other side was being fried, he took out the chilled tenderloin and swiftly sliced it into ultra-thin slices with his excellent knife skills.

After cutting, he sprinkled some sesame oil over the fish and prepared some soy sauce and wasabi for dipping. This was the Min Cuisine way of eating Sanming fish sashimi, though he replaced grass carp with this skinned fish.

At this moment, the person on the ship having the hardest time was Captain Wu.

Shen Teng was working hard to break his zero catch record, Wang Fan was fully immersed in cooking, leaving only Captain Wu to endure the torment of the delicious aroma.

The aroma was so rich and savory that it not only caused his mouth to water significantly but also made his stomach rumble like thunder.

Out at sea, you’re supposed to be accompanied by the sea breeze and fishy smell, so how could one endure such an alluring scent suddenly appearing?

Whenever he charters out the boat, it usually takes several days, and since he is responsible for feeding everyone onboard, he is quite familiar with cooking. Just by smelling the aroma wafting over, he knew he was not even close to amateur compared to Wang Fan—at most, a beginner.

Licking his lips, Captain Wu said to Shen Teng, "Boss Shen, your friend has incredible cooking skills. This dish smells amazing."

Shen Teng froze at the words, sniffed the air, and indeed smelled that delicious aroma. He shoved the fishing rod into the captain’s hand and said, "Keep an eye on this for me; I’m going to grab a bite." With that, he hurried off without a backwards glance, leaving Captain Wu standing there with a disgruntled face.

When Shen Teng entered the cabin, he saw Wang Fan just lifting the lid, pouring the fish into a basin.

The thick aroma of the fish was emitting from there, along with a faint scent of wine, as if it could pull his soul away.

"Wow, with Brother Wang with me, I can enjoy top-notch delicacies wherever we go. Just by smelling this aroma, I can’t imagine how flavorful this dish must be."

Wang Fan invited, "Come have a taste; consider it a Min Nan-style pot of fish. I even added some Fujian Old Wine, so I imagine you’ll like it."

Shen Teng quickly washed his hands, then eagerly sat down at the table.

Wang Fan glanced at the captain and asked Shen Teng, "Aren’t you going to invite the captain to join us?"

Shen Teng hadn’t originally intended to, thinking the fish wasn’t that big and more people meant less for him. But with Brother Wang’s suggestion, he reluctantly called out, "Captain Wu, put that rod aside and come have a bite with us."

Captain Wu’s ears were sharp, and upon hearing Shen Teng’s invitation, he was delighted internally, though he modestly replied, "It’s really not necessary, you eat, and I’ll watch the rods for you outside."

Shen Teng was delighted at first, quickly responding, "Alright then, thanks for taking the trouble!"

???

Captain Wu suddenly felt stiff all over, wondering why things weren’t going as he had imagined.

Come on, I was just being polite! Can you ask me again?

Please ask me again, I promise I’ll be in the cabin before you know it!

Wang Fan, chuckling, glanced at Shen Teng, prompting him to reluctantly amend his words, "I was just kidding, come on in and have a bite."

"Zoom!"

As soon as Shen Teng finished his sentence, Captain Wu appeared in the cabin, terrified that if he hesitated for even a second, Shen Teng would change his mind.

Perhaps it was something in his DNA, but Wang Fan couldn’t stand seeing someone go hungry. After all, it was just adding an extra pair of chopsticks.

Upon entering, Captain Wu’s Adam’s apple couldn’t help but move quickly up and down.

The savory aroma was so intense that it seemed to penetrate the senses, causing his mouth to drool uncontrollably.

Wang Fan invited, "Come, Captain, join us. Make yourself at home."

Though the boat and the kitchen belonged to Captain Wu, the fish was caught by Wang Fan, and the boat was chartered by Shen Teng, so they naturally had the right to invite him.

Captain Wu awkwardly rubbed his hands and replied with a shy laugh, "It’s quite embarrassing to be on my boat and have you guys feed me. I’m sorry about this."

Wang Fan laughed, "No worries. If you’re feeling bad, just take us to your secret fishing spots."

Captain Wu immediately pounded his chest confidently, "Don’t worry, this trip, I guarantee the two bosses will have a perfect catch!"